Body positioning means for aircraft ejection seats



` J.. MARTIN Nov. 7, 1950 BODY PSITIONING MEANS FOR AIRCRAFT EJECTION SEATS 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 27, 1947 J. MARTIN Nov. 7, 195o BODY PosITIoNING MEANS FOR AIRCRAFT EJEc'rIoN sEATs Filed May 27, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 7, 1950 J. MARTIN BODY PosITIoNING MEANS FOR AIRCRAFT E-JEcTIoN SEATS Filed May 27, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 l/wE/VTR JA MES HART/N I ATTORNEY Nov. 7, 1950 J. MARTIN 2,528,532

Bom: PosITroNING MEANS FOR AIRCRAFT EJECTION SEATS Filed May 27, 1947 4 sheets-sheet 4 nl s MR 771V /ae Patented ov. 7, 149256 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC E 2,52%,532 BopYPo SITIONING MEANS FQR' AIRCHAF'lr-4 EJECTION SEATSE Jfames Martin, Higher Denham,- near Uit-bridge",

Eglal'd Application May 27, 1947, seriai Nq.. 756.85

In Great Britain June 7', 1946 arms are positioned by the act of releasing` or setting in operation of the launching means and suitable foot rests are provided to position the feet and means for ensuring that the feet will be automatically brought into position and supported on the foot rests are provided for this purpose.

The invention is particularly suitable for use with the apparatus described in connection with the ejection seat described in my co-pending applica- 'tion U. S. Serial No. 638,762, filed January 3,ky

1916, now Patent No. 2,467,763, issued April 19, 1949.

In one arrangement apparatus for launching a pilot or other occupant from an aeroplane in flight is provided with one or more foot rests to receive and position the Vfeet and legs of the pilot orv other occupant and means is also provided to ensure the correct positioningvof the feet onthe foot rests during the launching operationl which is performed by the pilot or other occupant drawing a protective cover over his" face thereby locating his hands and arms in a position of safety and also setting the launching mechanism in operation.

In carrying the invention into practice, foot rests may be provided at each sidel oi the seat frame to be launched with the occupant and suitable attachments are provided for connection with the occupants foot wear, and cables vor other' flexible connections connect the attachments to the seat so that operating mechanism thereon will automatically draw the occupants feet corn rectly into position on the foot rests when the launching mechanism is released yor brought into operation. In this connection a spring loaded the seat frame may be connected by exible cables passing over suitable guides and connected to stirrups or stirrup-shaped loops' tted to or in which the occupants footwear engage. A trigger device'may be provided to release 'the plunger by the act of setting or releasing the launching mechanism which Yis' in turn iected by the act of drawing a protective cover over' the occupants face. The springv acting on the plung- 7 Claims. (Cl. 244-122) plunger mounted in a tubular or other guide in er then acts on the cable which pulls bacll: theY stirrup fittings to draw the feet into position o'n the foot rests. This ensures that the feet and legs'will be correctly positioned to avoid damage or injury to theA occupant whilst being ejected from theaeroplane,

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic side elevation of a pilot or other` occupant of an aeroplane seated in an ejection seat,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig.1,

Fig. Bzis a fragmentary perspective View showing the means for Vdrawing one of the occupants feet onto a f oot rest on the ejection seat,

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing a spring plunger and control catch for actuating the foot positioning'means,

Fig. 5 is a part sectionalv elevation showing a plunger and tension spring actuating device and control catch for the foot positioning means arranged in a tubular housing for mounting in the back of an ejection seat, and

Fig. 6 is a side,` elevation of the lower part of an ejection seat to a larger scale than Fig. l and showing a foot rest vanda foot stirrup connected by a cable'to a modified form of coiled spring actuating device.

Referring to ther drawings the ejection seat shown in Figs. 1 and 2` may be oi the type described` in my co-pending application, Ser. No. 638l,762'above described. The ejection seat l is mounted on guides directed toward an opening in the aeroplane through which it may be launched. Arranged in the seat back is an impeller unit adapted to act between the seat and a fixed part of the aeroplane and to be supplied with pressure fiuid: to eject the seat and occupant from an aeroplane. In the example shown in Figs. 1 andk 2 and described and illustrated in my above-mentioned application the guides and impeller unit are located within the seat back 2 of the ejection seat I and the seat is arranged to be ejected in an upward direction along the inclined 'line of the seat back 2. Figs. l and 2 show a pilot 3 in the seat I and the dot and dash lines show theposition of his limbs at the moment when he is about to bring into operation the impeller mechanism. to eject the seat and himself from the aeroplane. `In this position his arms 4 are raised tovgrasp the handles 5 on a cross bar 6 on the forward edge of a protective cover 1 adapted to be drawn out of the compartment 8 through the'slit 40 (see Fig. 2) into position in front'of and over his face to' protect his eyes,nose

ypeller unit in the seat back 2.

to prevent his neck being broken or injured by the air pressure which he will meet on emerging from the aeroplane and the protective cover 1 when drawn down over his face will tend to hold Y his head against the head rest 9.

The dotted lines show the position of thev also sets in operation the mechanism of the im- .y

peller unit Ia mounted on the back of the seat.

This is effected by a cable II] connected from the cross bar 5 to the control mechanism of the im- In this position the pilots arms 4 are brought into a position tucked compactly against his body and therefore protected against risk of injury by striking against any part of the aeroplane as the seat and its occupant is launched therefrom. The pilots feet II and legs I2 which normally occupy the position indicated by dot and dash lines of Figs. 1 and 2 are automatically drawn back to the position indicated by the dotted lines and the numerals Ha and I2a in Fig. 1 and his feet may be positioned on the foot rests I3 arranged one at each side of the front of the seat i. These foot rests I3 may be adjustably supported by telescopic supports I4 from the frame of the seat i (see particularly Fig. ).y

The pilots feet I I and legs I2 are automatically drawn back until his feet IIa are supported on the foot rests I3 and the legs 12a are folded compactly so as to pass safely through the opening in the aeroplane when the seat and occupant are launched therefrom. In this position the legs and body occupy a position in which the legs and chief organs of the body. are protected against the effect of rapid ejection and the air pressure which will be met as the occupant of the seat emerges from the aeroplane. The positioning of the feet of the pilot or other occupant is effected by stirrups I5 which embracethe heel of his boot and have a crossV bar I6 which extends across the front thereof and a retaining flexible band I1 which extends over the wearers instep. These stirrups I5 are each connected by flexible cables I8 running over pulleys vI9 supported by the seat I to the plunger slidably mounted in a tubular housing 2i supported in the seatback 2. Within .the tubular housing 2Iis a compression spring 22 adapted to be compressed between the plunger .25 and the lower end of the tubular housing 2l when the stirrup I5 and cable I8 is drawn out to a position to allow reasonably free movement of the feet and legs under normal conditions and particularly to allow normal operation of the rudder bar by the pilot when applied to his feet. Each plunger 26 is drawn down in its tubular housing 2l until it is engaged and retained by the shown in the enlarged sectional detail (Fig. 4) of.

4 part of the tubular housing 2l. Around the tubu-a lar housing 23 is fitted a tubular sheath 25 having a bracket 26 to which is pivoted the locking catch 23 in the form of a lever, one end of which projects through an opening in the tubular housing 2l into the path of the plunger 25, to retain itagainst the action of the compressed spring 22. The locking catch 23 is held in the retaining position by a spring 21 in a telescopic sheath 28.

A flexible release cable 24 extends from the end of each locking catch 23 round guiding pulleys 29 to the cross bar 6 of the protective face cover 1. Thus when the protective cover is drawn over the face of the occupant of the seat, a pull will be exerted on the cables 24 to withdraw the locking catches 23 thereby releasing the plungers 20 which are forced upwardly in the tubular housings 2I and pull upon the cables I5 to draw the feet of the occupant of the seat onto the foot rests I3. When the hands draw down the rod 6 the cable 24 causes the catch 23 to be withdrawn and this permits the sheath 25 to slide upward on the tubular housing 2I, thus permitting the rod 5 to be drawn down over the face of the occupant to the position indicated by broken lines and reference numeral 6a in Fig. l.

In order to assist in guiding the feet of the occupant of the seat onto the foot rests I3, guide plates 30 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3) are provided in front of the foot rests I3 and extending forward Y beneath the most forwardposition of thefeet.

In Fig. 2 these guideplates 3B are curvedinf wardly so as to bring the occupants feet and legs nearer together. VI nfFig. 3 the guide plates 35 areshown of channel form with side-wallsl. The front ends of Athe guide plates 3l may be hinged to the floor 32 of the aeroplane, as shown in Fig. 3 and the rear ends 4may be provided with clips 33 to connect theml to the foot rests` I3. These clips maybe readily separable or weaks'o as to tear away when the seat is ejected from the aeroplane. Alternatively the forward'ends of the guide plates may restA loosely on the'floor of the aeroplane and the rear ends may `behinged to the foot rests by theclips 33. The length of YAthe cables 24 and Illis sufficient to 'permit the protective cover 1 to be' drawn into place whilst also .ensuring the release Yof the actuating mechanism of the impellerV unit ofthe seatandthe spring controlled plungers for positioningthe feet of its occupant.

In Fig. 5 is shown an alternative form 0factuating `mechanism for positioning the feetof the occupant of the seat in which a tension form of spring member 34 is used in place-of the cornpression spring 22.

In Fig. 6 is shown astill'furthery form spring 35 with the locking catch 23A acting on plane.

When the occupant of anl ejection Vseat has l decided to make a parachute escapeA from the aeroplane, all that he has to dois to uncover the opening to the escape hatch and pull down the protective cover 1 over his face: Thisbrings ;his hands and armsinto a safe posi-tion-closefto his body and also :releases the locking catches 23 so that his feetewill also be-.brought into- .a

safe position on the foot rests yI3 and his legs will occupy a, compactly folded position enabling his body to withstand the effects of rapid ejection from the aeroplane and the force of the air pressure which he will encounter as he emerges therefrom. I-Ie is thereby relieved of the necessity of remembering to take a number of detail precautions at a time of emergency. The act of pulling down the protective cover also actuates the mechanism to launch the seat and its occupant from the aeroplane.

I claim:

1. In an ejection seat for launching a person from an aircraft, the combination of, a seat having a head rest and a foot rest for each foot of the occupant, means having spaced grips for each of the hands normally positioned on said head rest, means arranged and positioned to allow said hand grips to be drawn downward from said head rest, stirrups for each of the feet of the occupant of said seat, and means actuated by the downward movement of said hand grips to draw said stirrups into positions over each of said foot rests.

2. An ejection seat as recited in claim l in which said stirrups are attached to a spring and there is provided means for maintaining said spring under tension, said means being releasable by said means which allow said hand grips to be drawn downward from said head rest.

3. An ejection seat as recited in claim 1 in which each of said foot rests is provided with a U-shaped guide channel arranged and positioned to direct each of said feet into its respective foot rest.

4. An ejection seat as recited in claim 1 in which each of said stirrups is provided with a iiexible connection to a spring-actuated means for drawing each stirrup into position over its respective foot rest.

5. An ejection seat as recited in claim 1 in which said hand grips are xed at spaced positions on a rod. said rod being connected by flexible connection to said means for actuating said stirrups to draw them into positions over said foot rests.

6. An ejection seat as recited in claim 1 in which each of said stirrups is provided With a ileXible member adapted to pass over and encircle the instep of each foot of the occupant of said seat.

7. In an ejection seat for launching a person from an aircraft, the combination of, a seat having a head rest and a foot rest for each foot of the occupant of said seat, a rod normally positioned on said head rest and having spaced hand grips thereon, a stirrup for each foot of said occupant, a flexible connection connecting each of said stirrups to separate springs, means for maintaining said springs under tension including a spring-loaded catch, for each of said springs, a flexible connection from each end of said rod to each of said spring loaded catches, said connections permittingA said rod to be drawn downwardly whereby said spring-loaded catches are released thereby causing said springs to draw said stirrups into positions over said foot rests.

JAMES MARTIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,331,309 Curriston Oct. 12, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 638,356 France Feb. 20, 1928 

